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All 21 Czech seats in the European Parliament | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Elections will be held in the Czech Republic from 7 to 8 June 2024 to elect the 21 Czech representatives for the European Parliament, alongside the EU-wide 2024 European Parliament election. The newly elected European Parliament should consist of 720 deputies in total.
The 21 members are elected through semi-open list proportional representation in a single nationwide constituency with seats allocated through D'Hondt method and a 5% electoral threshold for both single parties and coalitions of two or more parties. [1]
Both Czech and EU citizens are entitled to vote in the European election in Czech Republic provided they have a permanent or temporary residence in the country at least 45 days prior to the elections. In addition, those eligible to vote must turn 18 years old by the second election day at the latest. Voter registration is required only for non-Czech EU citizens residing in Czech Republic, while Czech citizens are automatically registered in their place of residence. Citizens abroad can not vote by post or in a place of a diplomatic mission of Czech Republic, but may be eligible to vote in another member country. [2]
The previous elections to the European Parliament were held in the Czech Republic on 24-25 May 2019. Voter turnout was 28.72%. The parties and candidates elected were:
In October 2020, Radka Maxová resigned from ANO, and in March 2021, she started cooperating as a non-party member with the Czech Social Democratic Party (ČSSD), which had not won any seats in the previous election. [3] In September 2022, Hynek Blaško resigned from SPD and now sits in the EP as an independent. [4]
In June 2022, the only STAN MEP, Stanislav Polčák, announced he was suspending his membership in the party, following allegations that he was a member of corruption group led by his party colleague Petr Hlubuček. [5] A year later, Polčák resumed his membership after the Czech police decided not to charge him with any criminal offence. [6]
The table shows the detailed composition of the Czech seats at the European Parliament as of 25 January 2024.
| EP Group | Seats | Party | Seats | MEPs | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renew Europe | 5 / 21 | ANO 2011 | 3 | |||
| Independents | 2 | |||||
| European People's Party | 5 / 21 | TOP 09 | 2 | |||
| KDU-ČSL | 2 | |||||
| Mayors and Independents | 1 | |||||
| European Conservatives and Reformists | 4 / 21 | Civic Democratic Party | 4 | |||
| Greens–European Free Alliance | 3 / 21 | Czech Pirate Party | 3 | |||
| Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats | 1 / 21 | Independents | 1 | |||
| Identity and Democracy | 1 / 21 | Freedom and Direct Democracy | 1 | |||
| The Left in the European Parliament – GUE/NGL | 1 / 21 | Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia | 1 | |||
| Non-Inscrits | 1 / 21 | Independents | 1 | |||
| Total | 21 | |||||
| Source: European Parliament | ||||||
The following parties and coalitions running in the European elections are currently represented in the Chamber of Deputies or in the European Parliament:
The following parties and coalitions have announced their candidature but are currently not represented in the Chamber of Deputies nor in the European Parliament, but have appeared at least one relevant opinion poll:
| Party | Main ideology | Leader(s) | European party | EP Group | 2019 result | Outgoing MEPs | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes (%) | Seats | ||||||||
| SOCDEM | Social Democracy Sociální demokracie | Social Democracy | Lubomír Zaorálek | PES | S&D | 3.95% | 0 / 21 | 0 / 21 | |
| Svobodní | Svobodní | Libertarianism | Libor Vondráček | None | None | 0.65% | 0 / 21 | 0 / 21 | |
| PRO | Law, Respect, Expertise Právo Respekt Odbornost
| Right-wing populism | Jindřich Rajchl | None | None | did not exist | 0 / 21 | 0 / 21 | |
| Přísaha and Motorists | Přísaha and Motorists Přísaha a Motoristé | Populism | Filip Turek | None | EPP [lower-alpha 9] [10] | did not exist | 0 / 21 | 0 / 21 | |
| Greens | Green Party Strana zelených | Green Politics | Johanna Nejedlová | EGP | Greens/EFA | did not run [lower-alpha 10] | 0 / 21 | 0 / 21 | |
| Source: [7] [9] | |||||||||
The following parties and coalitions are not represented in the Chamber of Deputies or the European Parliament and have not appeared in any relevant opinion poll:
| Party | Main ideology | Leader(s) | European party | EP Group | 2019 result | Outgoing MEPs | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes (%) | Seats | ||||||||
| CZ1 | Czech Republic on the 1st place! Česká republika na 1. místě! | Vaccine hesitancy | Ladislav Vrabel | None | None | did not exist | 0 / 21 | 0 / 21 | |
| ČSSD | Czech Sovereignty Česká suverenita
| Left-wing nationalism | Jiří Paroubek | None | None | 0.11% | 0 / 21 | 0 / 21 | |
| DZS | Democratic Party of Greens Demokratická strana zelených | Green politics | to be announced | None | None | 0.60% | 0 / 21 | 0 / 21 | |
| Voice | Voice Hlas | Liberalism | to be announced | None | RE | 2.38% | 0 / 21 | 0 / 21 | |
| KAN | Club of Committed Non-Party Members Klub angažovaných nestraníků | Liberalism | Stanislav Pochman | None | None | 0.10% | 0 / 21 | 0 / 21 | |
| LANO | Liberal Alliance of Independent Citizens Liberální aliance nezávislých občanů | Liberalism | Šimon Hlinovský | None | None | did not exist | 0 / 21 | 0 / 21 | |
| Better Life | Better Life for the People Lepší život pro lidi | Populism | to be announced | None | None | did not run | 0 / 21 | 0 / 21 | |
| The Left | The Left Levice | Democratic Socialism | Jan Májíček | PEL | GUE/NGL | did not run | 0 / 21 | 0 / 21 | |
| aliens.eu | Better EU with Aliens Lepší EU s mimozemšťany | Political satire | to be announced | None | None | did not exist | 0 / 21 | 0 / 21 | |
| Tabby Cat | Tabby Cat Mourek | Political satire | Jan Červenka | None | None | did not exist | 0 / 21 | 0 / 21 | |
| NOS | New Direction Nový směr | N/A | to be announced | None | None | did no exist | 0 / 21 | 0 / 21 | |
| PB | Right Bloc Pravý blok | Conservatism | to be announced | None | None | 0.20% | 0 / 21 | 0 / 21 | |
| FOR Czexit | FOR Czexit Pro vystoupení z EU
| Euroscepticism | to be announced | None | None | 0.27% [lower-alpha 11] | 0 / 21 | 0 / 21 | |
| REFERENDUM | REFERENDUM - Voice of the People REFERENDUM - Hlas lidu | Direct Democracy | Václav Sogel | None | None | did not exist | 0 / 21 | 0 / 21 | |
| SEN21 and Volt | SEN21 and Volt SEN21 a Volt | Eurofederalism | Lenka Helena Koenigsmark | EDP | RE | did not exist | 0 / 21 | 0 / 21 | |
| SESO | Seniors for Themselves Senioři sobě | Pensioners' interests | to be announced | None | None | did not exist | 0 / 21 | 0 / 21 | |
| ŠD and SSPD-SP | ŠD and SSPD-SP ŠD a SSPD-SP
| Swiss System | to be announced | None | None | did not exist | 0 / 21 | 0 / 21 | |
| URZA | Urza.cz | Anarchocapitalism | to be announced | None | None | did not run | 0 / 21 | 0 / 21 | |
| Source: [7] [9] | |||||||||
The Civic Democratic Party (ODS), KDU-ČSL and TOP 09 have discussed whether they will run under the combined SPOLU banner or independently. According to reports, the ODS and TOP 09 memberships would prefer to run independently, [11] while ODS leader and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala favours a joint candidacy as SPOLU. [12] A combined list under the SPOLU banner is problematic due to the fact that ODS is part of the European Conservatives and Reformists EP grouping, while KDU-ČSL and TOP 09 are part of the European People's Party. [13] Sitting MEP and ODS' 2019 electoral leader Jan Zahradil was reported to be problematic for KDU-ČSL and TOP 09, as well as many ODS members such as MP Eva Decroix. [14] On 5 June 2023, Zahradil announced that he would not run in the election. [15] Alexandr Vondra has also been speculated as a potential lead candidate for ODS or SPOLU as whole. [16] [14]
On 18 May 2023, members of KDU-ČSL voted in a membership referendum in favor of running independently. [17] On 20 May 2023, KDU-ČSL decided at its nomination conference that its lead candidate for the 2024 elections will be current MEP Tomáš Zdechovský. Other candidates will include: František Talíř, the 1st Deputy Governor of the South Bohemian Region; MEP Michaela Šojdrová; Ondřej Mikmek, mayor of Slatinice in Olomouc; senator and twice presidential candidate Pavel Fischer; and MP Hayato Okamura. A decision over whether KDU-ČSL will run independently or as part of the SPOLU alliance will be made by September 2023. [18] [19]
On 30 October 2023, ODS, TOP 09 and KDU-ČSL announced that they will contest the election on a joint list. [20]
The Czech Pirate Party launched primaries for its election list on 30 May 2023. All incumbent MEPs (Mikuláš Peksa, Markéta Gregorová and Marcel Kolaja) announced their intention to run for the position of electoral leader. [21] Former MP Mikuláš Ferjenčík also announced his candidacy, and received the endorsements of Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipavský and former Mayor of Prague Zdeněk Hřib. 2019 electoral leader Marcel Kolaja soon criticised Ferjenčík, stating that the leader should be a respected politician. [16] The fifth candidate is Jana Kolaříková, chair of the South Bohemian branch of the party. [22]
MP and former government minister Klára Dostálová is speculated to become the lead candidate for ANO 2011. [16] 2019 electoral leader Dita Charanzová was reportedly undecided whether to run again. [23] Party leader Andrej Babiš was also reported to be considering his own candidacy. [13]
Leader of Mayors and Independents (STAN) Vít Rakušan suggested Jan Farský as his party's electoral leader. [24]
Former Czech Prime Minister Jiří Paroubek has announced his intention to run in the election with his Nespokojení (Dissatisfied) movement, with the aim of connecting parties on the left of the political spectrum. [14]
In October 2023, Volt and SEN21 announced that they would be standing in the European elections with a joint list. [25] [26] [ better source needed ] The head of their joint list is Lenka Koenigsmark. [27]
On 8 April 2024, ice hockey coach and former professional player Vladimír Růžička announced his candidacy for PRO 2022. [28]
Official campaign began on 26 January 2024, when the Czech president Petr Pavel announced the official date of the election. [29] Since that date, no party or coalition can spend more than 50 million crowns on propagation and has to create a transparent bank account within five days. [30]
| Name | Party | Date announced | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan Zahradil | Civic Democratic Party (ECR) | 5 June 2023 | [31] |
| Radka Maxová | Inderpendent (S&D) | 31 October 2023 | [32] |
| Stanislav Polčák | Mayors and Independents (EPP) | 3 January 2024 | [33] |
| Evžen Tošenovský | Civic Democratic Party (ECR) | 5 April 2024 | [34] |
| Polling firm | Fieldwork date | Sample size | SPOLU ECR–EPP | ANO Renew | Piráti G/EFA | STAN EPP | SPD– Trikolóra ID | Stačilo! Left | SOCDEM S&D | Svobodní NI | Přísaha NI | Zelení EGP | PRO NI | Others | Lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEM/Mark | 28 Mar–8 April 2024 | 1,009 | 20.0 | 27.5 | 10.1 | 10.4 | 10.4 | 6.7 | 3.4 | 2.5 | 6.0 | 0.9 | — | 1.9 | 7.5 |
| Data Collect | 25 Mar 2024 | 20.9 | 27.3 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 10.9 | 7.1 | 2.9 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 6.4 | |
| IPSOS | 23 Feb–5 Mar 2024 | 1,517 | 21.6 | 26.3 | 11.3 | 13.4 | 7.9 | 6.1 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 4.9 | — | — | — | 4.7 |
| IPSOS | Dec 2023 | TBA | 25.2 | 26.3 | 10.0 | 12.0 | 7.7 | 6.0 | — | — | — | — | — | 12.8 | 1.1 |
| STEM/MARK | 23–28 Nov 2023 | 1,010 | 15.0 | 33.8 | 11.4 | 7.3 | 14.7 | 5.4 | 3.6 | 2.9 | — | — | — | 6.0 | 18.8 |
| 2021 parliamentary election | 8–9 Oct 2021 | – | 27.8 | 27.1 | 15.6 | 9.6 | 3.6 | 4.7 | 2.8 [lower-alpha 12] | 4.7 | 1.0 | — | 0.9 | 0.7 | |
| 2019 European election | 24–25 May 2019 | – | 21.8 [lower-alpha 13] | 21.2 | 14.0 | 11.7 [lower-alpha 14] | 9.1 | 6.9 | 4.0 | 0.7 | — | — | — | 10.6 | 0.6 |
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